1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to production of 1,5-diazido-3-nitrazapentane, and is particularly directed to an improved process for producing this compound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Solid propellants are formulated from an oxidizer and fuel together with suitable binders and plasticizers to impart physical integrity. Most highly energetic systems utilize binders and plasticizers containing energetic groups such as nitro (--NO.sub.2), fluorodinitro (FC(NO.sub.2).sub.2 --), difluoroamino (--NF.sub.2), and many others.
Utilization of azido plasticizers has become a reality during the last several years. These azido plasticizers impart additional energy to propellants since each azido group present adds approximately 85 kcal/mole of energy to the system.
One functionally terminated azido compound of this type, 1,5-diazido-3-nitrazapentane (DANPE), together with its method of preparation, has been disclosed as an energetic plasticizer for use in solid propellants, gun propellants and explosives, in U.S. application Ser. No. 270,453, filed June 4, 1981, by Joseph E. Flanagan et al.
Such compounds can be prepared by the nitration of diethanolamine (DEA) to 1,5-dinitrato-3-nitrazapentane (DINA) and then treating the latter dinitrato compound with ionic azide to give the desired 1,5-diazido-3-nitrazapentane (DANPE), according to the following reactions: ##STR1##
In the above process, the solid DINA is isolated and purified, prior to conversion to the DANPE. However, since DINA was classified as a class A explosive by the Bureau of Safe Transportation, and the DANPE is also a class A explosive, the presently practiced synthetic process is considered too hazardous for commercial operations. It is accordingly desirable to handle these materials in a desensitized form, i.e., in solution.